Many will have seen the noxious black fumes from the Refinery on Thursday afternoon (24th June 2004) and may have heard the explanation given by CEPSA that it was caused by power shutdown and subsequent start-up. In any event, these emissions caused alarm in La Linea, Campamento and Gibraltar and yet very little information was given out at the time by the industry or anyone else.

A report in Europa Sur on Friday 25th states that Miguel Chaves, an environment official from San Roque, has complained in writing to the Spanish Ministry for the Environment and to the Junta de Andalusia, over the lack of compliance by CEPSA to follow safety protocols given that no advice was issued to the mayor or Environmental Health Counsellor as required by law. Given the high sulphur content of the fuel used by the refinery plant and the recent alert made due to the high sulphur dioxide levels recorded in the Guadarranque area, the ESG hope that our own authorities are checking with the Refinery that no overriding problems exist at the plant.

This incident has highlighted very clearly that the environment knows no borders and the ESG urges our Government to initiate a cross-border contingency plan when discussing issues of a commercial and touristic nature with local spanish officials.

This has long been a part of the ESG campaign for a cleaner and safer Bay.

The ESG is nevertheless sending information on this recent spate of toxic discharges to the European Commission to back up its official complaint.